Casino-style game

ABSTRACT

A casino-style game includes a deck of cards in which each card has a value, and the value or rank of a player&#39;s hand is determined by the cumulative value of each card in the hand. The deck also includes one or more power cards that differ from conventional cards in the deck at least insomuch that if two competing hands have the same value, but one hand includes the power card, the hand having the power card will be deemed the winning hand.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to casino-type card games.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many card games are used in casino style environments. Among the more popular games are Blackjack (“21”) and Pai Gow Poker. Other common casino games include Casino War and Caribbean Stud Poker.

Each of these games possesses different rules and wagering styles. For example, in traditional Blackjack a player typically plays against the casino, or house, whereas in Pai Gow Poker, players commonly play against a banker not affiliated with the casino.

The pace of each game is different as well. Casino War is fast-paced, each player being typically dealt only one card. Conversely, Pai Gow moves slowly as each player is dealt seven cards. The options available for the player also vary greatly between games. Pai Gow affords the player a large degree of control over how to play his or her hand, whereas Casino War affords little to no control.

Various casino card games sometime employ the use of a “wild card”. Typically the joker of a traditional deck of playing cards functions as the wild card, which can take on various values and suits as selected by the player. In some games, the player holding the joker automatically wins the hand regardless of the value of other cards in his or other players' hands.

SUMMARY

There is a need for more varied uses of a wild card, such as a joker, where the advantage garnered by possessing the wild card is mitigated. There is also a need for a casino card game that allows for the player to make strategic decisions while still allowing the casino to maintain fast-paced game play.

In accordance with one embodiment, the present invention provices a method of playing a card game, comprising providing a collection of cards, each card having a value, defining a banker playing position, defining at least one player playing position, dealing four cards to each of the banker and player playing positions, arranging the four cards at each of the banker and player playing positions into a front hand of two cards and a back hand of two cards, determining the value of each of the front and back hands by adding the value of the cards within each hand, defining at least one card in the card collection as a power card, comparing the value of each banker front and back hand to each respective player front and back hand, determining whether each player front hand beats, loses to, or ties the banker front hand, determining whether each player back hand beats, loses to, or ties the banker back hand, for each player playing position, determining the banker playing position to be the winner if one of the banker front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the player front and back hands, and the other of the banker front and back hands beats or ties the other of the player front and back hands, for each player playing position, determining the player playing position to be the winner if one of the player front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands, and the other of the player front and back hands beats or ties the other of the banker front and back hands, and for each player playing position, determining a tie if the player front and back hands each tie with the respective banker front and back hands or if one of the player front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands but the other of the player front and back hands loses to the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands, wherein the winning hand is the hand having a ones value closest to nine, and wherein when two hands have the same ones value, but one of the hands includes a power card, the hand having the power card wins.

In one such embodiment, the power card has a value of zero. In another embodiment the power card has a value matching the value stated on the face of the card.

In further embodiments, the collection of cards comprises a plurality of decks of playing cards having at least some of the playing cards removed. In some embodiments all ten, jack, queen and king cards are removed, there are four Joker cards for each deck, and the Joker cards are the power cards.

In yet further embodiments, each front hand must have a value less than or equal to the corresponding back hand.

In another embodiment, a method of playing a card game is provided, comprising providing a collection of cards, each card having a value, defining a first and a second playing position, dealing a plurality of cards to each of the first and second playing positions to create a first and a second hand corresponding to the first and second playing positions, respectively, determining the value of each of the first and second hands by adding the value of the cards within each hand, defining at least one card in the card collection as a power card, comparing the first hand to the second hand, determining that the first hand wins if the first hand value exceeds the second hand value, determining that the second hand wins if the second hand value exceeds the first hand value, determining a tie if the first and second hands have the same value and neither of the first and second hands comprises the power card, and if the first and second hands have the same value but one of the first and second hands comprises the power card, determining that the hand comprising the power card wins.

Another embodiment additionally comprises evaluating the value of the first and second hands prior to comparing the first hand to the second hand, and disqualifying any hand that exceeds an upper value limit from further play.

Still another embodiment additionally comprises evaluating the value of the first and second hands prior to comparing the first hand to the second hand, and modifying the value of each hand to take be the value of the ones digit.

In yet another embodiment the value of the power card is zero. In a further embodiment the value of the power card is that value shown on its face.

In some embodiments the step of defining at least one card as the power card is performed prior to dealing the cards. In some such embodiments the game comprises multiple cycles of dealing and determining winners, and a different card or cards may be defined as the power card prior to dealing the cards in each cycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These advantages may be more clearly understood by understanding one of many preferred embodiments. A detailed description of preferred embodiments is provided below in addition to the following figures in which:

FIG. 1 shows a card game configuration in which four cards are split into a two-card front hand and a two-card back hand in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates the relative rank of examples of hands comprising four matching cards in accordance with one embodiment of a card game.

FIG. 3 shows the relative rank of examples of hands having matching pairs in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows the point value and relative rank of individual cards in one preferred embodiment.

FIG. 5 provides examples of hands in which a power card can act as a tie-breaking card in one accordance with a preferred embodiment.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show examples of proper arrangements of front and back two-card hands in accordance with an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With initial reference to FIGS. 1-6, inventive aspects are discussed in the context of a preferred embodiment of a card game. In one embodiment, preferably eight decks of casino-style cards are used for the game and all face cards (kings, queens, and jacks) and tens are removed from each deck. Preferably, each deck has four power cards which, in the illustrated embodiments, are jokers. As such, each deck preferably has four of each remaining card (Ace—9) and four jokers. This leaves a total of 40 playing cards per deck and a total of 320 playing cards in 8 decks. In other embodiments, more or less decks, and even just one deck, can be employed. Also, other embodiments may use a different subset of cards or number of power cards.

In one embodiment, the game has a dealer (which can be an employee of the casino), a banker, and up to eight players. In some embodiments, the banker, or another player, can also function as the dealer. The players wager and compete directly with the banker, not necessarily the dealer/casino. An “action” button may be used to determine where the dealer should begin to deal the cards. Placement of the “action” button preferably is determined by the banker utilizing one or more dice to randomly select a seat number at the table where the first cards are to be dealt. Cards are dealt per player beginning with the “action” button and moving clockwise. In other embodiments, the “action” button can be placed in various ways, including placing it at seat 1 and moving it clockwise or counterclockwise one seat after each cycle.

Each player and the banker preferably are dealt four unexposed cards during one full wagering cycle of the card game. With continued reference to FIGS. 1-6, preferably, each player determines how to order their four cards into two hands of two cards each. As shown specifically in the blank four card hand 30 in FIG. 1, preferably the four cards are separated into a two-card front hand 32 and a two-card back hand 34. Once the front and back hands are determined, the player places the cards unexposed in the designated area on the table.

Once the players' hands are set, the banker's hand is exposed and the banker determines how to organize the four cards into front and back two-card hands. In other embodiments, the banker may set his cards without first exposing them. Once all hands are set, they are exposed and compared with the banker's hands beginning with the player at the action button and moving clockwise. In other embodiments, the action can move counterclockwise. Preferably, each player's front hand is compared to the banker's front hand and each player's back hand is compared with the banker's back hand. In some embodiments, all hands are exposed simultaneously. In other embodiments, hands are not exposed until it is time to compare the particular player's hand with the banker's hand.

Each two-card hand is ranked in order to determine a winner when being compared with the banker's respective two-card hand. Preferably, the two-card hand of greater value or rank must be set as the back hand and the two-card hand of equal or lesser value or rank must be set as the front hand. In other embodiments, the front hand may have a greater value than the back hand. In still other embodiments, the front hand must be of lesser value or rank than the back hand, and the front and back hands cannot have an equal value.

With specific reference next to FIG. 2, the highest ranking hand preferably is “four-of-a-kind”, in which all four cards dealt to one player are identical. If separated, each two-card hand would be a pair of identical ranking. However, in the illustrated embodiment four-of-a-kind hand is not evaluated as two separate two-card hands, rather it is a stronger four-card hand than all other four-card hands. Ranking of four-of-a-kind hands preferably follows the value displayed by the cards. For example, preferably, the highest ranking four-of-a-kind hand is four jokers 36, followed by four 9s 42, and down to four aces 44. In other embodiments, a four-of-a-kind hand has no special significance or treatment, and is separated into front and back two-card hands that are compared separately to the banker's front and back hands, respectively.

In the illustrated embodiment, if a player does not have four-of-a-kind, the front and back hands are evaluated separately. The highest ranking two-card hand is a pair of identical cards. Thus, a two-card hand with a matching pair of cards outranks any unpaired two card hand. With specific reference next to FIG. 3, the highest ranking pair is a pair of jokers 46, followed by a pair of nines 48, then eights 50, and progressing to the lowest ranking pair: aces 52.

In the illustrated embodiment, and as shown specifically in FIG. 4, each card has a point value equivalent to the number displayed on the card. Preferably, if a player's two card hand does not contain a matching pair, the hand is evaluated, and ranked, according to its point value. A joker 54 or “power card” preferably has a point value of zero. Other cards preferably have the value on their face. For example, a “9” 56 has a point value of nine, an “8” 57 has a point value of eight, and so on to the ace 58, which has a point value of one.

Preferably, the value of each two-card hand that is not a matching pair is calculated by adding the card value (ace=1, two=2, etc.) of each of the two cards. A combined total of nine preferably is the strongest hand for an unpaired two-card hand. A combined total of eight is the next strongest hand, and so on. When the combined card value exceeds nine, preferably only the rightmost, or “ones”, digit is considered. For example, a hand made up of a “9” and an “8”, which add up to 17, will have a two-card hand value of seven. Therefore, the value of an unpaired two-card hand ranges from nine (highest) down to one (lowest).

While calculating the combined total of a two-card hand, preferably the value of a joker is zero. However, when comparing two-card hands having identical combined totals, the hand which includes a joker has a higher ranking. In other words, a tie goes to the hand with a joker. For example, with specific reference to FIG. 5, each of hands 60, 62, 64, 66, and 68 in row A totals nine. However, due to the presence of the joker, hand 60 ranks higher than each of hands 62, 64, 66, and 68.

With continued reference to FIG. 5, each of rows A-I sets out possible two-card hands of various values. In a manner similar to the hands in row A, which each have a value of nine, the hands of row B each have a value of eight. Thus, each of the hands of row A rank higher than each of the hands of row B. However, due to the presence of the joker, hand 70 ranks higher than hands 72, 74, and 76, which each otherwise have identical point value. This pattern preferably persists. For example, each hand in row B ranks higher than each hand in row C, which hands rank higher than each hand in row D, and so on to row I. However, within each row, in which the hands have identical point values, the hand having the joker ranks highest.

As discussed above, in one embodiment, the player and banker are required to set their two-card hands such that the back hand ranks greater than or equal to the front hand. With reference next to FIGS. 6A-B, several examples of appropriate hand setups in which the back hand rank is greater than or equal to the front hand rank are provided.

With specific reference to FIG. 6A, several example hand setups are provided. In this group of setups, each back hand is the same (pair of aces), but each front hand is different. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, front hand 80, which has a value of nine and includes a power card 81, ranks higher than front hand 82, which also has a value of nine, but has no power card. However, front hand 82 ranks higher than front hand 84, which has a value of eight, even though front hand 84 has a power card 81. This pattern persists through this group of hands, with front hand 84 having greater value than front hand 86, which has greater value than front hand 88, and so on, with each front hand having a greater value than the next front hand until front hand 90.

With next reference to FIG. 6B, further examples of front and back hand combinations are provided. As shown, in each illustrated combination, the value of the front hand is no greater than the value of the back hand. Also, back hands 100, 102, 104, 106, 108 and 110 each have a value of nine, but each has a power card 81. These back hands each have equal value. Back hands 112 and 114 also each have a value of nine, but with no power card. Thus, back hands 112 and 114 would tie one another, but would lose to back hands 100, 102, 104, 106, 108 and 110.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 6B, front hands 116, 118 and 128 each have different configurations that yield a value of nine, but without any power card. These hands thus tie with one another. Front hands 120, 122, 124, 126 and 130 each include a power card, but have hand values less than nine. Thus, front hands 116, 118 and 128 each beat front hands 120, 122, 124, 126 and 130.

In order to determine a winner when comparing a player's hand to the banker's hand, preferably, each player's front and back two-card hands are compared with the respective front and back two-card hands of the banker.

The player wins if:

1. the player's front and back hands each has a greater value than the front and back hands, respectively, of the banker;

2. the player's front hand has a greater value than the banker's front hand and the player's back hand has a value equal to the value of the back hand of the banker; or

3. the player's back hand has a greater value than the banker's back hand and the player's front hand has a value equal to the value of the front hand of the banker.

Conversely, the banker wins if:

1. the banker's front and back hands each has a greater value than the front and back hands, respectively, of the player;

2. the banker's front hand has a greater value than the player's front hand and the banker's back hand has a value equal to the value of the back hand of the player; or

3. the banker's back hand has a greater value than the player's back hand and the banker's front hand has a value equal to the value of the front hand of the player.

Neither party wins if:

1. the banker's front and back hands each have the same value as the front and back hands, respectively, of the player;

2. the banker's front hand has a greater value than the player's front hand and the banker's back hand has a lesser value than the player's back hand; or

3. the banker's back hand has a lesser value than the player's back hand and the banker's front hand has a greater value than the player's front hand.

In the embodiments discussed above, a power card is employed in a game with two hands of two cards. It is to be understood that a power card, having features as discussed herein can be employed in other games. For example, in the standard game of Blackjack, the object of the game is to build a hand with a high point value but without going over 21. The hand with the highest point value (without exceeding 21) wins, except in the case of a tie, or push, in which there is no winner. In another embodiment, a Blackjack game includes a power card, such as a Joker, that is worth zero points. In this embodiment, when a player has a hand totaling the same as the dealer, which would normally be a push, the hand (if any) that includes the power card wins. For example, if the player and dealer both have a hand totaling 18 points and only the player's hand includes a power card, the player wins.

In another embodiment, the game Pan Nine can include a power card concept. The object of Pan Nine is to build a hand that totals close to a multiple of the number nine. In one embodiment, the power card can have a value of zero points for purposes of accumulating a point value. However, if the player and dealer have hands of identical value, the hand (if any) that includes the power card wins. For example, if the player and dealer both have three cards that total 8 points and only the dealer's hand includes a power card, the dealer's hand wins.

In some embodiments, the power card is a card that is different than the other cards in the deck, having at least one distinct advantage over all the other cards, but also having at least one disadvantage in light of the other cards. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the power card is given a very low value of zero points; however, a hand that includes the power card automatically wins all ties.

In another embodiment, a power card can have heightened advantages over other cards in the deck. For example, in one embodiment the power card functions both as a tiebreaker and as a wild card. In such an embodiment, the power card assumes whichever value, suit, or the like that is desired by the player, but also functions as a tiebreaker in the event the value of the player's hand is the same as the value of a competing hand.

It is to be understood that in other embodiments, variations of the embodiments discussed above may be employed. For example, in other embodiments, a player can choose whether the front or back hand is the highest ranking two-card hand. Also, in other embodiments, a different set of cards, or none of the cards, can be removed from each deck, or a different number of decks can be employed.

In still other embodiments, tiles or some other value-holding implement can be used instead of playing cards. In fact, for purposes of this application, the term “card” is to be used in accordance with its normal meaning, including playing cards that have a value or rank, and additionally including other gaming implements that carry a value or rank.

The power card concept, in which a card holds the power to break what otherwise would be a tie or push hand, can be employed in several different approaches or embodiments, as will be discussed below. Such use of the power card can be made in a game as discussed above in which players set front and back two-card hands, or can be employed by modifying other games such as Blackjack or Pan Nine to incorporate a power card.

In embodiments discussed above, the power card has been a Joker with a value of zero, but with the power to break a tie. In other embodiments, the power card may be a card other than the joker, and in still other embodiments the power card may have a value other than zero points. In such an embodiment, any one (or more than one) of the cards in play could be considered a power card. For example, if the “3” card is the power card, it retains its value of three points, but additionally serves the power card role of a tie breaker. In such an embodiment, if two competing players have hands of identical value, but one of the player's hands includes a “3”, that player wins what otherwise would be a tie or push.

In still other embodiments, any of the cards may be the power card, but that card will have a value of zero. For instance, a “3” may be defined as the power card, but as the power card would have a value of zero.

In still other embodiments, the player may have the option whether to use a power card as a point card or as a power card. For example, if the power card is a “3” and a player holds a “3” in his hand, the player may decide whether to use the “3” as a power card, in which case its point value would be zero but it would have the power to break a tie, or as a point card, in which its value would be three but it would not have the power to break a tie.

In some embodiments, the identity of the power cards may change from deal cycle to deal cycle. For example, in one embodiment, the dealer (or another player) may have the option of calling which, if any, cards will be considered power cards in the ensuing deal cycle.

In a still further embodiment, rather than (or in addition to) a particular value or type of card (i.e., jokers or “3's”) being the power card, an entire suit could be identified as a power suit. Thus, in the case of a tie, the player with the highest card of the power suit wins the hand. For example, if the power suit is “hearts”, and a first and second player have hands of equal value, but the first player's highest-value “heart” card is a “king” and the second player's highest-value “heart” card is a “ten”, then the first player wins the hand.

Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. For instance, it is anticipated that still further modifications of the concept of a power card and/or power suit as tiebreaker can be employed. Also, Applicant contemplates employing the power card concept into several existing or new games. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow. 

1. A method of playing a card game, comprising: providing a collection of cards, each card having a value; defining a banker playing position; defining at least one player playing position; dealing four cards to each of the banker and player playing positions; arranging the four cards at each of the banker and player playing positions into a front hand of two cards and a back hand of two cards; determining the value of each of the front and back hands by adding the value of the cards within each hand; defining at least one card in the card collection as a power card; and comparing the value of each banker front and back hand to each respective player front and back hand; determining whether each player front hand beats, loses to, or ties the banker front hand; determining whether each player back hand beats, loses to, or ties the banker back hand; for each player playing position, determining the banker playing position to be the winner if one of the banker front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the player front and back hands, and the other of the banker front and back hands beats or ties the other of the player front and back hands; for each player playing position, determining the player playing position to be the winner if one of the player front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands, and the other of the player front and back hands beats or ties the other of the banker front and back hands; for each player playing position, determining a tie if the player front and back hands each tie with the respective banker front and back hands or if one of the player front and back hands beats the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands but the other of the player front and back hands loses to the corresponding one of the banker front and back hands; wherein the winning hand is the hand having a ones value closest to nine; and wherein when two hands have the same ones value, but one of the hands includes a power card, the hand having the power card wins.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power card has a value of zero.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power card has a value matching the value stated on the face of the card.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the collection of cards comprises a plurality of decks of playing cards having at least some of the playing cards removed.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the collection of cards comprises a plurality of decks of playing cards having all ten, jack, queen and king cards removed, and having four Joker cards for each deck, and wherein the Joker cards are the power cards.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein each front hand must have a value less than or equal to the corresponding back hand.
 7. A method of playing a card game, comprising: providing a collection of cards, each card having a value; defining a first and a second playing position; dealing a plurality of cards to each of the first and second playing positions to create a first and a second hand corresponding to the first and second playing positions, respectively; determining the value of each of the first and second hands by adding the value of the cards within each hand; defining at least one card in the card collection as a power card; comparing the first hand to the second hand; determining that the first hand wins if the first hand value exceeds the second hand value; determining that the second hand wins if the second hand value exceeds the first hand value; determining a tie if the first and second hands have the same value and neither of the first and second hands comprises the power card; and if the first and second hands have the same value but one of the first and second hands comprises the power card, determining that the hand comprising the power card wins.
 8. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising evaluating the value of the first and second hands prior to comparing the first hand to the second hand, and disqualifying any hand that exceeds an upper value limit from further play.
 9. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising evaluating the value of the first and second hands prior to comparing the first hand to the second hand, and modifying the value of each hand to take be the value of the ones digit.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the value of the power card is zero.
 11. The method of claim 7, wherein the value of the power card is that value shown on its face.
 12. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of defining at least one card as the power card is performed prior to dealing the cards.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the game comprises multiple cycles of dealing and determining winners, and wherein a different card or cards may be defined as the power card prior to dealing the cards in each cycle. 